Sports Injury

Sports Injury

Sports injuries are the most common reason for chiropractic visits in the United States across all age groups.
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On this page, we will explore the various types of sports injuries and how Hulen Chiropractic in Fort Worth can help. Sports injuries are often a combination of injury to the body’s tissues such as muscles, bones and ligaments. Some of the most common types of sports injuries include:

Fractures

Bone fractures occur when there is a break that changes the contour of the bone. When a force or impact that is stronger than the bone is applied to the bone, a fracture occurs. Fractures are very common and can be caused by a number of sports related impacts. Fractures can occur from falls, trauma, or a direct blow to the bone. A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone caused by stress from repetitive activity, and are most common in runners and athletes who participate in sports, such as soccer and basketball. Symptoms include swelling or bruising of the soft tissue surrounding the fracture and muscles can often spasm trying to hold the bone in place. Medical care is needed immediately after a bone is fractured. Chiropractic care is not the primary treatment for fractures, but rather an excellent treatment for dislocation and subluxation associated with these sports related fractures and is effective for pain management. When a fracture has been declared stable by a medical professional and has thoroughly healed, get an evaluation from Hulen Chiropractic to rule out lingering joint restriction.

Tendonitis

To better understand what tendonitis is you must understand what the tendons do. A tendon is a fibrous cord of connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones. Tendons are responsible for helping move a given bone or structure. Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon. The most common cause of tendonitis is the over use of structures through repetitive motion making it common among athletes. Tendonitis occurs following a strain or tear in a muscle which has not healed properly. Tendonitis’ severity depends entirely on the frequency and type of exercise or muscle use. Symptoms of tendonitis include pain with movement with tenderness and swelling around the tendon. Tendonitis treatment options are available from Hulen Chiropractic in Fort Worth, TX in order to decrease inflammation, decrease pain and improve function

Strains and Sprains

Strains are more commonly referred to as pulled muscles. Sprains are pulled ligaments. Symptoms include stiffness and/or bruising around the area of the strain injury. Muscle strains happen when the muscle fibres are stretched beyond their limits; this often happens in sports when players run sprints, change direction suddenly or stretch before warming up or stretch to reach towards or return a pass. They can happen during normal sports activity and are very painful when occur. Recovery from a muscle strain is dependent on the severity of the injury. Muscle strains are classified into categories depending on their severity referred to as ”grades” 1, 2, or 3. Grade 1 is a mild muscle strain wherein the muscle or tendon is overstretched and a small tear occurs. This causes mild pain without much swelling. In a grade 2 or moderate muscle strain, the muscle or tendon is overstretched with fibers suffering from tears but not torn through. Symptoms include very strong pain with bruising from blood vessel damage and more obvious swelling over injury. Grade 3 strains are the severe muscle strains wherein muscle fibers are completely torn or ruptured. Excruciating pain, swelling, and bruising are most often always present and will often take up to 3 or 4 months to heal. Grade 3 strains are sometimes called “season killers” in the sports world indicating that once the injury is healed, more than likely the sporting season will have ended.

Bursitis

Another common sports injury condition is Bursitis; the inflammation of small sacs of synovial fluid called bursa or bursae, that lie within the tissue where friction occurs. Bursae exist at points in the body where muscles and tendons meet and move across a bone. These Bursae allow frictionless gliding which allows us to move without pain. There are also what is known as “superficial bursae” which provide a cushion between the skin and bone. There are more than 150 bursae in the body. Bursitis is usually caused by repetitive motion, overuse or impact on the area. Bursitis can also be caused by a sudden, more serious sporting injury. Shoulders, elbows and knees are the most commonly affected areas of the body. Bursitis should be diagnosed through physical examination and Hulen Chiropractic provides treatment options to decrease pain and improve recovery times.

If you or someone you know has suffered a sports related injury such as the ones listed above contact our office today for more information at (817)-346-0453. Our friendly staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your injury and the treatment options we can provide you. Our goal is always to get you back on the field and back to your “a” game!